School To Prison Pipeline Analysis

As we have learned, school-to-prison pipeline does nothing but stray at-risk youths away from education by criminalizing the students. At-risk students who are forced into a system like the school-to-prison pipeline are stripped away from their human rights and are powerless to fight back. It is not the students’ decision to be surrounded by the toxic systems, but because of the socio-economic imbalance that exist. Many of these at-risk students are from poverty where their parents are unable to fully provide for them and enroll them to a well off curriculum. However, socio-economic imbalance is not the only factor, policies like the zero tolerance reduces the students’ possibility to thrive in school. The zero tolerance policy demands for

Le’s work discusses about how the school-to-prison pipeline produces more inequalities and struggles for the students because funds are being spent on SROs and not beneficial programs (Le 2016). He also explores how school-to-prison pipeline develops in school systems and discover that it begins with split and overpopulated classrooms, and unequal access to resources (2016). Because of this, it makes the students feel that the school does not care for their well-being or education. Therefore, “funding education can mean providing a different world for students in the inner-city by allowing them to have more resources” (Le 2016). Resources such as books or programs are essential in students educational career since these things prevent students from indulging in criminal activities and staying off the streets. Le argues that funding should not be allocated to security and police officers since they are inefficient, and that money needs to be invested in training the teachers and staffs on problem solving, extracurricular activities, and educational programs

But, there needs to be more done than just funding. Therefore, to establish a nurturing academic environment, “families, schools, and communities all need to work together to create an environment that is healthy for the youths” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2009). This means that the parents, community, and school needs to impact the at-risk youths’ life positively. As a result, one method that can provide this positive impact is the restorative justice disciplinary strategy. Restorative Justice is the act of not punishing students through harsh methods, but in four different ways (London 2017). First, “administration needs to address all the needs and concerns the school has” (London 2017). Secondly, school faculties and students need to have a healthy bond where conversations are able to happen safely (London 2017). Thirdly, instead of punishing the students for breaking the rules, faculties need to sit down with the students to discuss about what happened and how to prevent the situation from repeating (London 2017). Lastly, faculties need to put in the effort to help the youths repair broken friendships and develop a safe space where students can enjoy learning (London 2017). Through this, at-risk or misbehaved youths can learn how to problem solve, practice proper social behavior, and spend more time in an academic